1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clamping, cutting and/or clipping apparatus and more particularly, pliers and snips with interchangeable heads. The present invention provides for a device having an interchangeable head, and the device comprises: a pair of handles having opposing top and bottom ends, the top end of each of the handles is connected at a pivot point, and each of the top ends of the handles have two generally parallel walls forming a space therebetween, and the first wall has a moveable pin attached therethrough and the second wall has an aperture to receive the moveable pin. The device also comprises a head comprising a first and second component, each of the components has opposing top and bottom ends, and the top end of each of the components has at least one contact surface, and the first and second components are connected at a pivot point, and the bottom end of each of the components comprises at least one aperture designed to align with the aperture of the second wall of one of the top ends of the handle and to receive the moveable pin during an installment position, and each of the bottom ends of the components of the head is inserted within the space formed by the walls of the top ends of the handles, and the pin is inserted through the aperture of the bottom end of the head and the aperture of the top end of the handle. The device further comprises a means for securing the pin to the handle to thereby secure said head to the handle, and the handles are designed to be squeezed together to thereby allow the contact surfaces of the first and second top ends of the first and second components to move towards one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various patents covering pliers type devices with interchangeable heads or components. These pliers type devices are difficult to use, the heads are difficult to change and most importantly, changing the head becomes dangerous for the user. FIG. 1 shows a typical pliers device 100 with interchangeable head 101. The device 100 has two handles 102a and 102b, respectively, connected at a pivot point 103 and at least two stationary pins 104. The head 101 has two components and each component has a top end 105 with a clamping surface 106 and a crescent shaped bottom 109. To install the head 101, the handles, 102a and b, must be pulled apart and the crescent shaped bottoms 109 are then attached to the stationary pins 104 and then the handles, 102a and b, are squeezed toward one another to secure the head 101 to the handles 102a and b. This typical device is difficult to use and changing the heads is extremely awkward and cumbersome.
FIG. 2 relates to the pliers device 200 shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,387 by Lee. Lee has two handles, 202a and b respectively, and the handles meet at a pivot point 203 and each handle has an extended portion 207 with a stationary pin 204. The portions 208 are situated above the pivot point 203. The interchangeable head 201 has two components and each component has a top end 205 with a clamping surface 206 and a bottom end 210 with a crescent shaped bottom 209 and each component is attached at pivot point 208. To install the head 201, the handles, 202a and b, must be pulled apart and the crescent shaped bottoms 209 are then attached to the stationary pins 204 and then the handles, 202a and b, are squeezed toward one another to secure the head 201 to the handles 202a and b. Like the first pliers discussed above, the Lee device is also difficult and dangerous to use when changing heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,147 to Beetz et al. is another complicated interchangeable head device. The Beetz device is similar to the Lee device with regards to the handle but there is a separate extended portion attached below the pivot point of the device. The extended portion has two ends, one end attached to the handle and the other end is to be attached to the interchangeable head. The extended portions are moveable and unstable and requires another component to prevent movement to the two extended portions.
Unlike the prior art, the present invention provides for pliers and clippers as well as clamping and cutting devices with interchangeable heads with improved interchangeability designs and safety features. Most importantly, the present invention provides for an improved device that is easy to change the heads and is safer for the user to work with. In addition, the present invention also provides for various head functions and designs such as different heads for cutting, snipping and clamping.